Back to Normal: Back to School?

For two years now we as students have had to deal with several modes
of learning, one of which isn’t exactly conducive to learning but totally
favorable to cheating. It is a system that cannot be sustained for long. Before
any schools in the city’s lowlands are reopened, there should be things taken
into consideration.

From the start, education officials were aware of the challenges posed
by blended learning to both students and educators. But blended learning was
deemed to be better than nothing as the pandemic forced children to stay at
home. Blended learning requires greater participation of parents in their
+children’s education. This has been a problem in low-income households
where parents themselves have limited education, or where parents must
work outside the home. Because of such challenges, there have been
proposals since late last year to resume limited face-to-face classes in areas
at low risk of COVID transmission. But this was before the ongoing surge,
fueled by more infectious and deadlier coronavirus variants.

On the other hand, too many children are being left behind in their
education, and it will have a significant impact on national development. If
measures can be in place to ensure the health of learners and educators alike
in low-risk areas, face-to-face classes must resume. Because our goal is to
eventually restore face-to-face classes in all levels, we must not forget that the
new normal comes with new rules, new challenges, and new dangers to
consider.